Jobs go at toiletries firm

Jobs have been lost at a Lytham toiletries, hygiene and healthcare firm after it was bought by a Croatian rival.

Statestrong Products Ltd based at Boundary Lane has made staff redundant following the sale at the end of last month.

The company had slipped into administration at the start of October for the second time in 12 months.

It supplies a range of over 500 own branded products to more than 100 clients but ran into trouble earlier this year when its working capital facilities were exhausted.

Russell Cash and Ben Woolrych, partners atFRP Advisory, the restructuring and business advisory firm, were appointed to handle afairs in October and at the time said they were hopeful of inding a buyer.

A buyer was later found – Wachem, based in Varazdin, north Croatia, a company which has operated in the non-aerosol dispensers field since the 1980s.

It founded a UK arm of the company on October 22 called Wachem Statestrong which is registered in London.

Staff at the Lytham plant said initially they had been told there would be no redundancies before Christmas but this week they were called in and some told they would have to be let go.

One member of staff, who did not want to be named, said: “It was a real shock. It was the way it has been done that is especially upsetting, because we were told there would be no job losses before Christmas.

“We have been told we can stay on and work five days or can have the money and leave today. The staff are shocked, its terrible. A lot of people have been here for a long time and some are owed wages from the previous owners.”

Another member of staff said: “Things have pretty much been on hold while the administration was going on but we still have lots of customers and things could easily have picked up again.

“It is a big blow. We are not yet sure how many people will lose their jobs. There are between 45 and 50 staff in Lytham. The new owners have been in and some workers have been told they are safe for now, others told that they are to be made redundant.”

Attempts were made to speak to the new owners of the company, but they were unavailable.